Trench shoring is a process of bracing the walls of a trench in order to prevent collapse. This process is often necessary in the construction field when excavating trenches to lay water and sewer pipes, foundations, cables or underground structures.
Typically the side walls of the trench are lined with one or more boxes or vertical shoring panels. A series of boxes or panels may be successively connected to create a continuous shoring wall on either side of the trench. Several horizontal shoring devices or spreaders may be installed between opposing panels to support the shoring panels along the length of the trench. The term “trench shoring” may also be used to refer to these materials used in the trench shoring process.
After an excavation job is complete or an in ground structure installed, the trench shoring generally must be removed. Given the significant load upon the trench shoring from the adjacent earth, particularly during or after backfilling, removal of the trench shoring can be difficult and dangerous. This is often done by lifting the trench shoring with an excavator vehicle. However, the application of an even and distributed force to the trench shoring is difficult to achieve using an excavator alone. The process is time consuming, difficult and can in some circumstances result in damage to the trench shoring or in ground structure. Furthermore, significant wear is put on the excavator when removing trench shoring.
What is desired therefore is a safe and effective system and device for removing trench shoring. What is also desired is a system and device adaptable for numerous types of vertical lifting applications.